I. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communications and more specifically to searching neighbor cells in multicarrier communications.
II. Background
Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as, for example, voice, data, and so on. Typical wireless communication systems may be multiple-access systems capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., bandwidth, transmit power, . . . ). Examples of such multiple-access systems may include code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) systems, orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems, and the like. Additionally, the systems can conform to specifications such as third generation partnership project (3GPP), 3GPP long term evolution (LTE), ultra mobile broadband (UMB), etc., and can use one or more protocols, such as high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA), single carrier HSDPA (SC-HSDPA), dual carrier HSDPA (DC-HSDPA), etc.
Generally, wireless multiple-access communication systems may simultaneously support communication for multiple mobile devices. Each mobile device may communicate with one or more access points (e.g., base stations, femtocells, picocells, relay nodes, and/or the like) via transmissions on forward and reverse links. The forward link (or downlink) refers to the communication link from access points to mobile devices, and the reverse link (or uplink) refers to the communication link from mobile devices to access points. Further, communications between mobile devices and access points may be established via single-input single-output (SISO) systems, multiple-input single-output (MISO) systems, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, and so forth. In addition, mobile devices can communicate with other mobile devices (and/or access points with other access points) in peer-to-peer wireless network configurations.
In addition, wireless communication systems can support communication over multiple frequency carriers such that an access point can transmit to and receive from mobile devices over multiple carriers for increased throughput. In one example, access points can utilize an anchor carrier for primary communication with mobile devices, as well as a secondary carrier to receive multicarrier downlink transmissions. Mobile devices can travel over a wireless network performing cell reselection to various access points to facilitate seamless wireless network access. In this regard, mobile devices can measure neighbor cell signals sent over the anchor carrier and send measurement reports related to the anchor carrier to a current access point, so the access point can determine when to initiate reselection to a neighbor cell (e.g., when signal-to-noise ratio is just as good or better than the current cell).
Anchor carrier measurement reports are generated and transmitted frequently to facilitate mobility through reselection, where there is no such requirement for secondary carriers. Access points can, however, switch an anchor carrier for a mobile device to the secondary carrier (e.g., to facilitate load balancing, where the secondary carrier has higher signal-to-noise ratio, etc.). In this regard, measurement reports may not be regularly received for the previous anchor carrier, which can be the anchor carrier for surrounding access points or related cells. This can inhibit mobility where surrounding access points use the previous anchor carrier for their anchor carrier.